Steering to success with a great mindset..

Jake Church
General Manager
OpenRoad Mercedes-Benz Surrey

They say that success doesn’t come easy — you have to hustle and work hard to get to the top. It takes a lot of courage, determination and a whole lot of patience to work towards reaching your goals. And sometimes, even the most dedicated people find it tough to stay on track.

However, Jake Church, the General Manager at OpenRoad Mercedes-Benz Surrey, made it big in the industry not just by his conviction but by having a mindset that led him on the ladder of success.

Being associated with OpenRoad for more than 10 years, he started his stint with washing cars and working through different roles and stores. In an interview with South Asian Entertainment Magazine, he shares about his journey from being a sales student to heading a leading automobile dealership.

Jake’s journey into the world of sales started at a tender age since he had an avid interest in this field. “As a kid my parents wouldn’t buy me the expensive bike I wanted. So I bought and sold my way up to a bike worth a few thousands and kick-started my adventure into the world of sales by selling mountain bikes. As I got older, I started doing the same thing with cars in high school. I began with a $1,000 car and worked my way up to a car that was worth $10k.”

He added, “At that point I was very much into sports cars and started to work on my own vehicles. I then took an automotive apprenticeship to be a mechanic. It wasn’t until long that I decided working in the shop was not for me, and hence, I went back to school for business and marketing.”

This proved to be a turning point in his life. His love for cars helped him get a job at OpenRoad Toyota Richmond as a lot associate. He saw what the sales team was doing, and with a history of buying and selling in the past, he wanted to give it a try. He then took an opportunity in sales and after learning the product and developing process, Jake proved to his peers and the management that he can excel and make a mark in this field.

It is because of a positive attitude and a mindful approach, there was no looking back for him. He said, “During that time, I took on extra responsibility, running teams within the sales department such as service drive, leasing and internet leads etc. I got satisfaction from growing my team and bringing people up around me and a few years later, I became a sales manager. This was where I learnt most about the car business and was fortunate enough to have had some incredible mentors.”

He also mentioned that he spent a lot of time developing processes and giving staff the same opportunities he had before becoming a manager.

Over the past couple of years he has made a few moves. His portfolio has some great names that he has been associated with. He has worked with Audi as a Sales Manager, Hyundai Genesis as a General Manager and currently works with Mercedes-Benz as a General Manager.

On being asked about what motivates him to give his best everyday, he said, “My biggest motivator is my team. Mercedes-Benz Surrey is run by individuals who are passionate about our store, our brand and our customers. We come to work wanting to be better than we were yesterday, and this shows in the experience we provide for our customers and the relationships we have with each other.”

Leading such a reputed dealership isn’t a child’s play. It requires a lot of planning and implementation and Jake makes sure he is on top of everything. He said, “Our business is driven by numbers. It is important to start with the end in mind. We set store targets yearly and break them down into quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily goals and then work towards achieving them.”

His team at the dealership tries to give a great and worthy experience for all their customers. He proudly said that they take time to understand their customers’ unique needs and build an experience around them. “A Mercedes Benz is a premium luxury vehicle and our processes mirror this. We also aim to exceed expectations in all the store’s departments,” he added.

Apart from being a workaholic, he loves to indulge in outdoor activities like ice hockey and plays it 2-3 times a week. “My dad still plays. We are on a team together in the Jewish Hockey League and love to spend time with my family and my friends,” Jake mentioned. He also loves to ride mountain bikes on the weekends with his dog.

He is a perfect example of someone who is making it big in such a competitive industry with his hard work. We wish him the best for all his future endeavors.